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Saturday, 31 October 2015

First off, Happy Hallowe'en, my fellow bibliophiles! While Hallowe'en isn't my favourite holiday of the year, I still love the atmosphere and having an excuse to eat lots of sweets and carve pumpkins with my housemates! Plus it's the perfect time to re-watch Harry Potter :DAnyway, I had some free time today so I thought why not do a wrap up of everything I read in October? It's been a pretty good reading month, if I do say so myself. I had quite a few books given to me by new authors, some that had been on my TBR list for what seemed like years, the finale of a great trilogy, and of course re-reading an illustrated edition of one of the best magical series of all time.

I finished Ignite Me, the finale in Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. A great ending to a uniquely-written story. See my review here.

Next was Unleashed, the second in a retelling of the Hades-and-Persephone myth by Tempest Avery. It was given to me by the author (Thanks again, Tempest!) and I quite enjoyed it, I love retellings of famous myths and fairytales. See my review here.

I read another review request in the form of Outspoken by Lora Richardson. This was an incredibly cute, short and sweet story of one girl learning to stand up for herself and not let people drag her down. See my review here.

YET ANOTHER review request when Tara Sr. Pierre sent me her first novel, Just A Few Inches. When a girl decides she wants to lose a few pounds to fit into that perfect dress, she takes these diet pills that not only let her lose weight, but height as well! We see her deal with this "illness" and see her grow as a person as a result. See my review here.

And who can forget Mr Harry Potter, in the book that started his magical adventure and started a fandom that will last forever.

And finally I tackled Rebel Belle, the first in Rachel Hawkins trilogy. I'd had this on my TBR for so long but as it wasn't out on Kindle I never got around to reading it. But then I managed to download it and I'm so glad I finally read it! Currently reading the sequel, Miss Mayhem, and enjoying that too. See my review here.

So those were all the books I read this month. I have plenty planned to read in November, but with college exams and assignments stopping me from reading, I just hope I won't get behind. What books did you read this month? Let me know in the comments.

Tuesday, 27 October 2015

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Rating: 4 stars

Sometimes you just need to read a
book that has you smiling constantly, laughing quite often and gives you a warm
and comforting feeling deep inside, right at the place you didn’t realise
needed to be comforted by. Rebel Belle is just that book.

It tells the story of Harper Jane
Price, who, at first glance, seems like your typical popular girl. She’s
Homecoming Queen, Head Cheerleader, SGA President, with many more
extracurricular activities at her belt. She’s a very proper southern belle who
says “eff” instead of the actual word. I thought she was going to be your
stereotypical “mean girl” because of all these traits. But I was, to my
delight, completely wrong about her character! Yes she is all those things I
just mentioned, but she’s also girly, witty, caring, funny… just an all-round
great character. She had her high school career all planned out with all those
activities as well as a loving boyfriend at her side. However, everything
changes when she encounters the death of the janitor who, before dying, passes
on his gift of super-strength and turns her into a Paladin.

Suddenly Harper’s high school plans
are thrown out the window as she discovers that her new-found powers mean she
is tasked to protect David Stark, her arch nemesis since childhood. What are the chances, right?

What I loved about this book was how
independent the author made Harper. Instead of waiting for her “Professor X”
character to find her and explain what’s happened to her, she finds out most of
it by herself. By the time she finds her “Professor X”, they only have to give
specifics and more detail to what Harper has already discovered by herself.

Even though Harper wants to take her
new role seriously, she can’t help wanting to have her life remain exactly the
same even though she knows deep inside that that can’t happen. When she starts
spending more time with David and less with her boyfriend, Ryan, as well as
lying to her friends as to where she’s going, it becomes clear the life Harper
once envisioned is at an end.

The romance is adorable and perfect.
It’s so gradual and realistic. David and Harper are extremely passionate – they
were full of snarky comebacks and dirty looks. Yet those snarky comments soon
become very joking and not as serious as they used to be. There’s no
insta-love, but it’s not dragged out either. It’s perfect.

This is a super adorable contemporary
read with a dash of supernatural to it; it’s perfect for those looking for a
light read that’ll make them smile constantly.

Thursday, 22 October 2015

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This feature is the place where you highlight a great quote, line or passage you've discovered in a book you're currently reading. Whether it's something heart-warming, heart-breaking, funny or inspiring, Thursday Quotables is where my favourite line(s) of the week will be, and I invite you to join in! It's hosted by Lisa at BookShelf Fantasies, so be sure to check her out :)

The book I'm reading this week is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K Rowling. Do I even need to tell anyone what it's about? A boy wizard goes to wizard school called Hogwarts where amazing and wonderful adventures are just beginning! I'm re-reading the Illustrated version and it's just awesome-sauce with an extra serving of awesomeness.

Most people will know these quotes as they're so famous and amazing, but I don't care, I love them. First we have some wise Dumbledore:

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

And one of my favourite quotes from Hermione, aka Boss Witch:

“I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed.”

And finally one from my favourite literary twins in the world:

“Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've – you've blown up a toilet or –""Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet.""Great idea though, thanks, Mum.”

Have you read this book? What quotes grasped your heartstrings this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Wednesday, 21 October 2015

It's been six months since Spencer made the deal with the god of the Underworld: a year of spending nights below. Now that she's finally given into her feelings for Hadrian, she hopes her second life will start getting less complicated. Of course, considering her new world is filled with Reapers, demons, and malicious spirits, that doesn't seem likely. What does surprise her is the way her ex-soul mate Micah St. James is treating her. Ever since they broke up he's been giving her the cold shoulder, and the more she worries about where they stand, the more she ends up putting a wedge between her and Hadrian. She chose the god for a reason, now she just has to keep that in mind while they fight off the attacks of an evil Persephone hell bent on tearing them apart. By any means necessary. She's already lost Micah. She'd die--again--if the original Gravewalker got her way and managed to steal Hadrian as well.

Rating: 3 stars

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest
review*

First I’d
like to thank Tempest C Avery for allowing me to read her trilogy as it was
quite a unique and interesting experience to behold.

It’s
been six months since Spencer made the deal with Hadrian, the god of the
Underworld to spend a year below with him. After two books of a love triangle,
Spencer has finally succumbed to her feelings for Hadrian and decided to give
their relationship a go. However, even though Spencer desperately wants her
life to go back to normal, she’s beginning to realise her life will never be
described as “normal” again.

Spencer
has really grown since our first meeting in Unhinged. She’s become a lot
stronger after getting control of her powers as a Grave Walker, therefore doesn’t
need protecting 24/7. This has made her a lot more independent. While she and Micah start off totally awkward
at the start, she eventually finds a place for him at her side without
complicating her relationship with Hadrian.

There were
happy and sad moments but all were quite enjoyable. Much better than the second
book, anyway.

Friday, 16 October 2015

Isn't it so pretty??? JK Rowling is going to re-release all seven books with some beautiful illustrations provided by artist Jim Kay. This one was only released last week, and each book is going to come out every year then. Just imagine what my bookshelf is going to look like with all seven of this beauties in 2022!I haven't read Harry Potter for a while, so I think it's high time I re-read it, don't you?? I'm going to take my time, this time though, as I'm going to look at the amazing illustrations Jim Kay provides and really soak it all in. He really does a wonderful job. Wanna see some?

To fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. To look beautiful for her boyfriend, the school’s star basketball player. To keep his jealous ex-girlfriend, a rival cheerleader, away from him. And to be noticed by her classmates.

Exercising and dieting don’t work, but an advertisement for weight loss pills promises a quicker solution to her problem. As time runs out, she takes more than the recommended dose until she’s just a few inches slimmer. Heads turn when she arrives at the dance, and the wonderful night with her boyfriend is beyond what she dreamed it would be.

Days later, Carrie discovers that her body is changing in ways that should be impossible. While her doctor searches for a cure, she desperately turns to her friends and family for support. Everyone is noticing her now whether she likes it or not, and even the media is intrigued by her incredible story. Getting everything she once wanted has created new problems—problems that are growing more terrifying every day.

Because Carrie Roberts is shrinking.

- - - - -

"Just a Few Inches" is a Young Adult novel that deals with issues of body image, self-esteem, and teenage relationships. It is intended for readers age 13 and up.

Rating: 3 stars

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review*

Right now, I would say I’m quite positive with my body. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for me. And that’s what matters. But if you’d asked me how I felt about my body five years ago, my answer would’ve been the complete opposite. I believed I was fat, ugly, and that everyone thought so and that I’d never be loved because of it. I’ve realised that that’s all just teenage insecurities and 90% of girls will go through this phase during their life. So if I’d read this book back then, I would’ve been able to relate to our main character way more than I do right now. As it is, I can still relate to the reasons why she did it. And I still applaud St. Pierre for the way she handled social norms and insecurities about our bodies, and the lengths someone will go to get that perfect body or impress that certain someone.

Carrie Roberts is our 18 year old protagonist. At 5’8, she’s the tallest in her friend group, but that’s still not enough for her. To fit into the perfect red dress so her boyfriend will look at her and not the other hot cheerleader, Carrie takes some diet pills. However, due to scientific and genetic factors I honestly didn’t really understand, Carrie starts losing height as well as weight. And so the story portrays Carrie’s personal growth as a character as she slowly shrinks down to the size of a doll.

I really enjoyed the first part of the story, how Carrie discovers the shrinking and has to come out to her friends and family, and how they deal with this unusual phenomenon. However, by the second half I realised that this book was incredibly dragged out with not a lot happening; just Carrie dealing with everyday things such as finding clothes to fit her, opening doors and going to school. It got pretty boring and a part of me considered just skipping to the end to find out what happens. I think St Pierre could’ve taken out a chunk in the middle that wasn’t necessary and still get the same growth she needed from her characters but not bore her readers as much.

I liked Carrie as a character for the most part. She was incredibly strong in the face of what was happening to her and didn’t let it change her for the worse; only for the better. However I did think she became TOO much of a crybaby toward the end of the book; she seemed to start crying whenever she got trapped, when she was scared, even happy! She didn’t need to cry that much, it was a bit weird. And there’s only one word to describe her relationship with Evan: insta-love. He goes from this adorably geeky boy in her class to suddenly (and I quote) “the best boyfriend in the world.” I don’t think we were given enough room for development for these two to go from friends to lovers, it just sort of happens before I realised what was happening. I didn’t get enough time to absorb it and have proper feelings toward it.

However, I did enjoy her relationship with her friends and family, they had a realistic response to what was happening to her and I loved how supportive they were of her, doing whatever was needed to support her.

Overall, this story was good, but not great. There were some parts I truly enjoyed and think were portrayed very well, and others... not so well. However the concept was truly original and unique and was done quite well by St. Pierre. If you’re someone who has struggled with body issues, weight, self-esteem, I think this book is for you. It really opens your eyes into the concept of loving the body you’re born with and what’s considered “normal” or “average” in today’s society.

Monday, 12 October 2015

Penny Beck is a girl who says yes when she means no. She keeps to herself, follows the rules, and does what she's told. After a disastrous experience with her boyfriend, she's determined to change from the spineless person she's always been into the strong woman she wants to become. All she needs is a little practice. On a cross-country trip to check on her grandpa, she strives to become bolder and more outspoken with the strangers she meets. Penny's plan is to practice saying and doing what she wants without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Then she meets Archer, an introspective loner to whom she finds herself drawn. She realizes she does care what he thinks, very much. Will Penny be able to stick to her plan, or will she revert back to her people-pleasing ways?

Rating: 4 stars

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review* This
book is a very cute contemporary read about one girl’s journey of
self-discovery and learning to stand up for herself and stop pleasing everyone
else and just please herself. It’s a short, quick, simple read, one you could
finish in a day if it’s a lazy Sunday or if you’re avoiding all manner of
responsibility like I was.

Penny
used to do everything because she was trying to please everyone else. She got a
black car as her sister thought it was a cool colour, she was going to study chemistry
in college because it’s what her dad wanted, she was going to a specific
college because that’s where her boyfriend was going. But eventually, a night
of bad judgement finally opened Penny’s eyes and she realised she had to stop.
She decides to go across the country her summer after senior year to visit her
sick grandfather and practice standing up for herself with complete strangers.
And after meeting all the wonderful and strange characters in that small beach
town, Penny learns more about herself than she ever thought she’d learn.

As a
person who used to always agree with everything other people told me and
constantly apologise when it wasn’t my fault, I totally related to this book on
at least one level. Penny had no self-esteem at the start of this book and the
lessons she learns because of what happens in this book is something anyone
with self-esteem issues can take on board. It is quite a simple and short read,
barely 250 pages, but that doesn’t make it any less significant with important
lessons to be learned. A great debut book for this author and I look forward to
any future books she may bring out!

Friday, 9 October 2015

It's been three months since Spencer Perry first made her deal with the god of the Underworld-a year of her spending nights below in exchange for the life of her boyfriend Micah. Now with Micah back, making those promised trips to hang with Hadrian-better known as Hades-has gotten even more complicated. Not to mention the fact that an evil Persephone is hell bent on releasing malicious spirits on the world. And on Spencer. The threat forces her to spend more time with the god, and less time with Micah, igniting feelings within her that leave her guilty and confused. How could she be falling for Hadrian when she's always believed that Micah was her soulmate? The clock on their deal is ticking down, but with every second Persephone gets more and more restless. In the end, the only way through the evils of the Underworld might be for Spencer to give into her true feelings. No matter who that ends up being for.

Rating: 3 stars

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest
review*

I
really enjoyed the first book in the series and was excited to get my hands on
the second one. Spencer had this intense emotional connection to Hadrian and
with Micah brought back from the dead, she was going to have to truly face
herself and her feelings toward the two men in her life.

To be
honest though, the story started off extremely slow. There was a lot of explanation
about the events of the first book and not a lot of action. It wasn’t until
about a third of the way in that the plot began picking up and I found myself
invested in it.

Spencer
is still in danger from the wrath of Persephone and she has to learn to control
her newly discovered powers so she’ll be prepared for anything that might
happen. She’s learning that her once perfect relationship with Micah might not
be as perfect as she always believed now that he’s been brought back to life. His
green-eyed monster rises to the surface every time he sees her with Hadrian and
when she does have free time, he’s always catching up with the friends he
missed while he was dead.

And Spencer’s
relationship with Hadrian only continues to confuse her. She knows she has
feelings for him, but is it love? And is it worth giving up Micah for, someone
she once swore she’d grow old with? In short, it was true to the ways of the
love triangle. A confused girl, being pulled in two entirely different
directions.

While
all the loose ends were tied up in Unleashed, new ones were created for the
third book. To be honest, I was expecting a lot more from this story than what I
got. For the majority of the book we saw Spencer get pulled in two different
directions as she tried to sort out her feelings and getting irrationally angry
at Hadrian even when it wasn’t his fault. There was a fighting scene at the
end, but even that seemed minor and I felt like it was over too quickly. When it
was over I was just like

Overall
I enjoyed the story but felt it wasn’t as good as Unhinged. I’m still
interested in the series and will finish it and would recommend it if you enjoy
retelling of myths, but just don’t get your hopes up for an action-packed
adventure.

Thursday, 8 October 2015

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This feature is the place where you highlight a great quote, line or passage you've discovered in a book you're currently reading. Whether it's something heart-warming, heart-breaking, funny or inspiring, Thursday Quotables is where my favourite line(s) of the week will be, and I invite you to join in! It's hosted by Lisa at BookShelf Fantasies, so be sure to check her out :)

The book I'm reading this week is Unleashed by Tempest Avery. I was given this book by the author and it's the sequel in a trilogy retelling the Hades and Persephone myth with a unique twist. I'm quite enjoying it!

My quote is from a conversation by Spencer (Persephone) and Hadrian (Hades) and the intense connection they have:

"'I can't be what you want me to be, Hadrian.'

He frowned, seeming startled by her comment. "I don't want you to be anything other than what you already are. Haven't you figured that out already, Spencer? I'm Hades; I live in fire and brimstone, and yet you've awakened something in me that I thought was lost forever. I feel. I feel for you.'"

I'm really enjoying the way the author is portraying their romance, too; it's not love, but the possibility of love. It's something different and great to read.

Have you read this book? What quotes grasped your heartstrings this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Adrian from Vampire Academy and Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. Before he and Sydney became my ultimate OTP in the Bloodlines series, Adrian had already showed us how romantic he was when he attempted to swoon Rose in Vampire Academy. Just check out this impromptu poem he wrote her!

But besides that, he was wonderful to Sydney too, always coming up with these romantic escape plans so they could be together. I'd say that makes him the most romantic!

Dark and Moody Bad Boy with a Good Side

I think Daemon Black from Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout fits this, don't you? He starts off as such a jerk to Katy but it's not hard to realise that he'd do whatever it took to make her happy and keep her safe.

My PurposeMy purpose for blogging is actually pretty simple. I love reading. Entering different worlds, meeting an array of different characters, feeling unexplainable emotions over what happens to them. I also love talking about how much I loved or didn't love a book by writing reviews about them. So I thought one day, why not make a blog where I can share my views with people who feel the exact same way I do? And so Less Reality More Books was born. Nobody in real life appreciates books as much as I do, so it's amazing to me to be able to talk to so many amazing bloggers out there who understand my love for certain characters and getting upset when things don't go my way. Even though I'm quite busy now that college has started again, I want to express my thanks and love to everyone out there reading this, who take the time to visit my blog and read my reviews and post comments on them. Who nominate me for tags such as this one. None of this would've been possible without you, so thanks. I love you all.

Friday, 2 October 2015

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

Rating: 5 stars

Ignite Me was the finale worth
waiting for. I’d been told that it was the best out of the three books, and
every review I’d read stated how amazing and un-put-down-able it was. I have to
say I completely agree. The story flowed so awesomely, there was never a dull
moment or unnecessary dialogue or chapters. The character development just
rattled the stars. Juliette, our main character, started off so meek and docile
when we first meet her; so afraid of her abilities that she never attempted to
escape the asylum she was put in. Even in Unravel Me, she had such low
self-esteem that she was willing to let someone else lead the resistance
against The Re-Establishment as she didn’t think she was important enough to
lead an army. Well that girl is gone now! She has accepted her powers as a part
of herself, and has a vision for the future she knows only she can create, and
is no longer afraid of taking charge. In short, she’s become a total badass and
someone to cheer for.

“I’m going to be alive
in ten years, and I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be strong. And I don’t
need anyone to tell me that anymore. I am enough, and I always will be.”

Adam has realised that the girl he
fell for no longer exists, and he has to come to terms with this fact; as well
as the fact that everything around him is changing. While I didn’t like the way
he acted in some parts of this book, I think by the end he learned to accept
that while change is scary, it’s also necessary to see a better world.

And Warner. Oh, my poor, sweet,
misunderstood baby. He was the villain in the first book but he changes so much
in this book. While it was never a secret that he loved Juliette, he has to
learn to accept other people in his life when he was always had a tough time
trusting people. His and Juliette’s scenes were by far my favourite and you
couldn’t help fanning yourself when reading them. Juliette is so confused over her feelings for
Warner because he’s done some terrible things, yet he’s the only one who truly
understands her and treats her like his equal; as someone worth leading and
fighting alongside. He wants to protect her yet he’ll also let her protect
herself as he knows she’s well able to.

“Ignite, my love.
Ignite.”

“You deserve so much
more than charity,” he says, his chest heaving. “You deserve to live. You
deserve to be alive.” He's staring at me, unblinking. “Come back to life, love.
I'll be here when you wake up.”

All our other favourite characters
return too, such as Kenji, James and Castle. James’ lovable innocence and
relentless questions and Kenji’s banter always put a smile on my face. I adore
that Kenji’s and Juliette’s relationship is completely platonic. I love
boy-girl friendships that have no romantic intentions at all; you get so little
of them in YA books lately. They nearly always result in romance by the book’s
end. But with Kenji and Juliette they only see each as friends, and I loved it.

In short, this was a great finale.
Mafi’s unique style of writing was still as refreshing as ever, and I’ll miss
how distinctive it was. If I had any nit-picks, it was that the ending was a
bit abrupt. I would’ve loved to see an epilogue or a “one year later” type of
thing as I wanted to see what happened after the big finale. If there is a
bonus scene somewhere, someone tell me!

This was by far my favourite of the
trilogy and I’m so glad I finally got to read this series. I encourage all of
you to add this series to your TBR list if you love romance, kickass
characters, dystopia, sci-fi and magical powers. It’s absolutely amazing.

Thursday, 1 October 2015

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This feature is the place where you highlight a great quote, line or passage you've discovered in a book you're currently reading. Whether it's something heart-warming, heart-breaking, funny or inspiring, Thursday Quotables is where my favourite line(s) of the week will be, and I invite you to join in! It's hosted by Lisa at BookShelf Fantasies, so be sure to check her out :)

The book I'm reading this week is Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi. It's the final in a trilogy about one girl who discovers she has a a powerful gift and must untie friends and foes alike to defeat the common enemy in a war that could shatter the world. I'm flying through this trilogy, it's so amazing! I can't wait to see how it ends.

My quote this week is from Warner, a man with a troublesome past with shady morals who you can't help but love. His love for Juliette is also something to be admired, as there's nothing he wouldn't do for her:

"You deserve so much more than charity. You deserve to live. You deserve to be alive." He's staring down at me, unblinking. "Come back to life, love. I'll be here when you wake up."

OH WARNER.

Have you read this book? What quotes grasped your heartstrings this week? Let me know in the comments below!